


Camp Insanity

by ETNMystic



Series: Our Eternity Together [13]
Category: Fandom RPF, Multi-Fandom, Original Work, Our ETerNity Together (Web Series AU)
Genre: F/F, campfire song song, dontchaknow, in my opinion this is currently the gayest installment of the series thusfar, kumbaya, spongebob squarepants reference, stepford campers, stepford smilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:48:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22265131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ETNMystic/pseuds/ETNMystic
Summary: With the tokens now in pieces, Mystic and her friends must endure a week at Camp Happy Sunshine. But some things may not be what they seem.....
Relationships: ETNMystic (Fandom RPF)/Ivy Flora
Series: Our Eternity Together [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1337809
Comments: 16
Kudos: 4





	1. Stepford Lakers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something's really fishy, and I know it's not the lake.

I absolutely refused to wear the uniform. Not a chance was I gonna put that hideous polo shirt and khaki skirt on.

I didn't care if it made me look different from everyone else at the camp. I knew I would stand out, but I didn't mind. Even if I did mind, I wasn't going to put the stupid fucking uniform on. And neither were a lot of people from my group.

"Oh, but it's a symbol of unity, dontchaknow!"

I could hear Sasha quietly screaming behind me as Carol said that last phrase, and I sympathized. 

"It's ugly," I groaned.  
"I especially don't like the bright-pink one. It hurts my eyes. Can I at least wear the blue one?"

Carol began to scold me like a child.

"But pink is for girls, and you're a girl, dontchaknow!"

"Gender is a scam, and I want my money back!" Bailey huffed.

Carol glared at them, but Bailey glared back before Carol huffed back.

"Look, just put on the shirts."

"No!" I stomped my foot.  
"I will _not_ wear that really stupid and, quite frankly, fucking ugly uniform, even if you paid me!"

"Mystic, darling--" Penelope began.

"No, no, no," Lilith intervened.  
"I will _not_ let my darling Mystic wear such horrifically plebeian fibers. She and her friends deserve the very best."

That was when I realized that I wasn't so sure if it was the uniform itself that was the problem. Yeah, it was ugly, with its blue and pink polo shirts and khaki shorts for guys and khaki skirts for girls, but it seemed even more complex than that. I wasn't quite sure what it was, though.

"I'm with Lilith on this," I nodded.  
"I'm not wearing that and if you try to put it on me, I will take it off and burn it."

"Yeah, I am too," Lisbet added.

"Same," Alice agreed.  
"It's not my style at all."

Hearing this, as well as more "no-way-in-hell-will-i-wear-that-god-awful-uniform" from Candy Pop, Carol stomped off with a grimace on her face. 

"Alice, Wynter, anyone else who wants to, huddle up."

"Where?" Bailey asked.

"Anywhere."

We ended up going outside the mess hall. The sun was beginning to set and the mosquitos were beginning to buzz. It was at that moment I wished I had bug repellant. Not just for the mosquitos, but also for the problems that were bugging me. One current example was the uniform.

"Anyone else feel off-put by the uniforms?" I asked.  
"As in, extremely put off?"

"Yeah," Ivy nodded.  
"Felt like there was somefin' wrong wif them."

"Something did seem really off," Alice agreed.  
"And I feel like it's not just the color."

"No, it's definitely not," I agreed.  
"I think that the color's just a distraction, but a distraction from what I'm not so sure."

"Hey, I'm not entirely sure if this is related, but I did find it odd and off-putting," Wynter piped up.  
"Anyone else notice that weird sun patch on the shirts?"

I had to think back to it, but it soon came to memory.

"The creepy, wide-smiling one with the dimples and big, fat cheeks?" I asked.  
"Yeah, I agree. It's extremely off-putting."

"Am really scared by this whole thing," Bailey shivered.  
"How did we end up here and not the Land of Fiction?"

"I don't know. Maybe I wasn't specific enough."

"Yeah, you kinda just said a portal," Ivy nodded.  
"Prob'ly need te say a portal te where yer goin'."

"So then what are we gonna do?"

"Leave?" Alice suggested.

"That seems extremely dangerous. We barely know where we are. And besides, maybe we'll be able to survive a week here. I really doubt it can get worse."

"Howdy-doody, fellow campers!" a boy exclaimed loudly causing us all to jump in shock.  
"Gee willickers, isn't camp just the bee's knees? We're all gonna go over to the lake and sing super-duper happy campfire songs and roast marshmallows! You should join us!"

He ran off, and I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. There was absolutely _no way_ any of us were going to survive a week here.

"Okay, you know what?" I gulped fearfully.  
"New plan. We are going to steal the token piece from Carol and get the hell out of here."

"But how are we gonna do that?"

I sighed.

"I'm afraid we have no choice. We have to go to that gathering at the lake."

* * *

When I told the group about the plan, Envy and Candy Pop seemed the most ecstatic.

"Oh thank goodness!" Envy sobbed happily.

"I thought you were gonna make us stay here," Candy Pop cried in relief.

"Here?" I stammered.  
"No, not here! I'm not _that_ cruel."

"Yer not cruel at all, love," Ivy assured me.  
"Yer very sweet."

There were the butterflies again. I'd have to have a talk with her about these butterflies. I don't know why they were there. Was I in love with Ivy? Was it just a crush? I had no idea.

"But why do we have to go to the bonfire lake thing with those Stepford campers?" Candy Pop shivered.

"It could be our quickest chance to take the token piece. I don't want to know what Carol does or doesn't wear when she sleeps, so I think we need to take it at the bonfire."

"But how are we going to get it without being caught?" Hazel wondered.

I gave this some thought.

"Well, Envy's a pretty quick retriever. Maybe he could sneak it away."

Envy looked confused.

"You want _me_ to do it?"

"Well, yeah," I said.  
"I mean, you snatched that piece from Sugarplum so quickly that it was like it was never even there. Why _wouldn't_ I ask you to do the job?"

He looked kinda sheepish and it made Alice giggle. 

"Well," I sighed.  
"We should probably get going to the Stepford gathering."

"Erm," Ivy hesitated.  
"Actually, I wanna ask ye somefin in private, love. We can catch up wif the ovvers if that's okay wif ye."

I shrugged.

"I guess. We'll see you guys in a bit."

And so we were off.


	2. When Magic Happens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally a moment of peace.
> 
> Here's the song she sings in this chapter. Casey Malone is also the woman who played Jezebel, I think, and she's Ivy's face and voice canon, so it's kinda basically Ivy singing:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W2cc42TlEE

Ivy led me far away from the leaf-covered and brown campsite, which seemed sketchy, but I felt like I could trust her to _not_ kidnap me or kill me. I had a feeling that this was about.....well, our feelings. But Ivy seemed like such an open person. Why would she want to talk to me about feelings in private? And for that matter, where were we even going?

"Where exactly are you taking me?" I asked.

"Not much farvver," she answered.  
"I fink we're gettin' close."

She started searching along a hedge of what I assumed to be vines until she stopped at one where light was much more present.

"Ah, 'ere it is."

She pulled aside a section of the curtain of vines and I found such a stark contrast. This was the most beautiful and luscious patch of land I'd ever seen. It was like something out of a fairytale.

"How'd you find this?" I gasped.

"I was lookin' fer a place to relax before we told the group 'bout the plan, an' I stumbled on this li'l patch a paradise."

I was hesitant to even step inside, but at the encouragement of Ivy, I stepped onto the grass, and got a better look at this little paradise. Up ahead was a hill with an oak tree at the top. You could see the sunset so clearly here, and it seemed like no one else had been here, as there was a hedge wall around it. And yet, the place seemed like it was taking care of itself. It wasn't too fancy, but compared to run-down and smelly camp, it was a luxurious safe haven, cleansing me of my anxiety as simply as a host taking the coat of a guest arriving at their party. Even the air was cleaner in here.

"It's like walking into a completely different world."

"Yeah," she agreed seeming a little nervous.

I turned and met her eyes.

"You said you had something to ask me?"

Ivy nodded.

"Le's go an' talk up on the 'ill, 'kay?"

"Sure," I shrugged.

I managed to make it up the hill no problem. The sunset still left some rays trickling out, and I felt their little taps of heat against my skin, almost like a child tapping you on the shoulder, or I guess in my case, in my palms and arms. I almost felt like dancing.

"Ye wanna sit b'low the tree?"

I twirled around to see Ivy had made it up the hill. 

"It's up to you," I told her. 

She sat down below it and I sat beside her. For a while, neither of us said anything. I could tell Ivy seemed especially worried for some reason.

"You okay?" I asked.  
"What was it you wanted to ask me?"

She didn't look at me. Ivy seemed like she could only stare straight ahead. 

"I was wond'rin'. 'Ow do ye feel 'bout me?"

This caught me only a little off-guard.

"I think you're amazing, Ivy."

She seemed to take a bit to process that, before gulping.

"'Ow'd ye feel 'bout......us?"

That caught me more off-guard, in spite of my suspicions. Us? Was she actually.....?

"Ivy, are you saying you want.......to be my girlfriend?"

Ivy tensed up. At the same time, there was a very subtle gesture. She had them in a fist, and was kinda rotating them on her fingers in opposite directions.

"I know I'm a bit of a flirt," she sighed.  
"I call ovvers 'love' lots, but....I dunno. There's.....somefin' 'bout ye I can't get outta my 'ead, an I dunno what it is. Like I said, I ain't a slow burner like my brovver, but....Oh God, now I feel like I made a mistake. I always jump ahead wifout finkin'. That's one fing I envy 'bout my brovver. 'E's so cautious, but cause a that, 'e's never really jumped into fings wifout finkin' them frough first. I'm just so scared someone else's gonna take ye 'way again, an' I care 'bout ye loads, love, but.....is this just a fling? I dunno."

Ivy brought her knees close and buried her face in them. So she was wondering the same thing. She was also scared this may be temporary. I felt like I had to say something. She deserved to know that she wasn't alone in this.

"To....to be honest," I admitted.  
"I've gotten butterflies when you complimented me. And I felt like I could trust you enough to follow you away from the camp. That's.....probably a first for me since.......since...."

I sighed. I wasn't sure if I was ready to tell her that just yet. 

"It doesn't matter right now. What matters is that.....I'm also not sure if it's a crush or if this is real. I mean, I think if I trust you enough for you to lead me away from the rest of the group, that could be a sign that it's, you know, not just a schoolgirl crush."

She peeked out from her shell of despair. 

"Maybe.....maybe this _is_ something more," I wondered aloud, giving her a small smile.  
"Maybe we can take it kinda gradually. If this is love, then it'll stay."

Ivy shook her head.

"But that's what scares me," she admitted, her voice cracking a bit, the rotating getting slightly faster.   
"I'm scared this won't last. I fought me brovver was a goner when I lost 'im, but 'e loved me then. God only know the pain a still 'avin' the person in ye life, but they don't love ye back."

She took several levels breaths and I could see a few tears fall, only for her to wipe them away as quickly as they had come. I gave her a hug. Feeling her warmth, I felt safe. 

"It sucks to feel like that, I know," I sighed.  
"But if you don't take the chance...."

"Ye won't 'ave the person in the first place," she finished.  
"I know."

"We can take that chance together."

I leaned in closer to her.

"Love? S'alright if I call ye that, right?"

I nodded.

"I got somefin' I wanted te play for ye, but....I don't 'ave a guitar. Or a tune changer or whatever they're called."

I took out my teastones.

"I wish I had a tuned acoustic guitar and a tune changer."

There they appeared in my lap. I handed it to Ivy. She set it to the right key and warmed up. I was cautiously trying to lay on her legs, and she giggled.

"Ye can ask, love. S'okay."

I blushed and tried to hide my face.

"Don't go 'idin' from me. Yer too cute."

"Can I lie on your legs please?" I giggled.

"If ye show me yer face."

I shyly peeked out slowly before showing my face completely and lying on her legs.

"Been workin' on this fer a few years."

She started playing. It sounded like a blues' song, and a beautiful one. But then she started singing.

And it was even more beautiful.

_The city roars_   
_The subway song and whistle never greet._   
_The frigid and the cold_   
_dark stares young dreamers in defeat._

_All this time when magic happens_   
_it's overthrown by fools and bad men_   
_and we'll just stare at the lights_   
_pretty deers in the bright headlights._

_You stand alone_   
_You're home sweet home_   
_In whispers to you in your sleep._   
_Your time is come_   
_Your race has been won._   
_Will you choose charity or greed?_

_In this time when magic happens_   
_it's overthrown by fools and bad men_   
_and we'll just stare at the lights_   
_pretty deers in the bright headlights._

_This life when magic happens_   
_it's overthrown by fools and bad men_   
_and we'll just stare at the lights_   
_pretty deers in the bright headlights._

When she stopped playing, I felt like I was being awoken from a dream. Ivy's voice had changed almost completely when she started singing. She sounded like a blues' singer from the 1920s.

"Wow," I gasped in awe.  
"You're.....phenomenal." 

She shrugged, trying not to blush.

"'S'nofin'. I'm sure ye can do loads better."

I shook my head.

"Your voice is magical."

"No, love," she smiled.  
" _You_ are magical."

I couldn't stop blushing, so I cuddled up next to her, and in that moment, it felt as though our hearts were beating as one. 

"Hey!"

A tiny voice called out for us.

I opened my eyes to spy the moon coming up and two figures heading up the hill. Were we here for that long?

"Campfire!" Sugarbelle called.  
"The....group needs....you."

She struggled to make full sentences, but I didn't mind.

Alice giggled upon seeing us, shaking her head and folding her arms.

"Wonder what Erica would say about this."

I blushed heavily.

"But Sugarbelle's right. The group's wondering where you are."

We stood up.

"How did you know where we were?" I asked.

"I didn't. I checked like twenty other spots before this."

"Marshmallows! C'mon, slowpokes!"

Sugarbelle ran ahead of us.

"Bloody 'ell," Ivy woofed.  
"She's a speed demon."

"She's cute, though."

"Okay, so a cute speed demon."

Alice and I giggled a little.

"Let's get going," I sighed, my hand gently dropping into Ivy's before we had to leave our little paradise behind, hopefully just for now.


	3. Kumbayas, Song Songs, and Tranquilizers.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welp, off to have a campfire with the Stepford Lakers.
> 
> Here are the song references:
> 
> KUMBAYA:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A3PWPERD7w
> 
> The shirts are also like the ones at Carol's camp.
> 
> CAMPFIRE SONG SONG:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWTBxPudQig

Exiting the paradise, I definitely noticed how dirty and foul the air was, moreso as we got closer to the camp and to the campers. They'd already set up the fire and were laughing. But the laughter felt so.....artificial and forced. Was Carol holding these campers hostage? 

_Are you okay, children? Where is this she-devil of a Minnesotan disappointment keeping your parents captive?_

"Whoopdee-doo! We have new friends!"

"Golly Gee, lookie here, you just arrived for the s'mores and campfire songs, dontchaknow!"

Montana was placed right next to Carol and was twitching profusely. Luckily we had left our guitar at the paradise. I wasn't about to take it to Hell.

Speaking of, the devil herself pulled out an acoustic guitar.

"Who's ready fer the campfire songs, dontchaknow?"

The campers cheered like little kids. As we sat down, I swore I saw Candy Pop on the verge of tears. Satan strummed a C-chord and began.

_ Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya. _

The other campers joined in, smiling and swinging side-to-side in perfect sync.  
  
 _Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya_  
 _Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya_  
 _Oh Lord, kumbaya._

My group was.....less than amused, to say the least. And then it got worse.

_ Dontchaknow my Lord, dontchaknow  
Dontchaknow my Lord, dontchaknow _   
_ Dontchaknow my Lord, dontchaknow _   
_ Oh Lord, dontchaknow. _

Briar looked like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. I sympathized.

_ Someone's singing Lord, dontchaknow _   
_ Someone's singing Lord, dontchaknow _   
_ Someone's singing Lord, dontchaknow _   
_ Oh Lord, dontchaknow. _

I was pretty sure no one in our group was singing. Or at least no one wanted to.  
  
 _Someone's laughing, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Someone's laughing, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Someone's laughing, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Oh Lord, dontchaknow_

I can assure you, none of us were laughing. Even Ro looked disturbed by their Stepfordian cheeriness.  
"This is some religious cult bullshit," Silvia whispered to me.  
  
 _Someone's crying, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Someone's crying, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Someone's crying, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Oh Lord, dontchaknow._

That someone was Sasha, 100%. Alice went over and hugged her.  
  
 _Someone's praying, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Someone's praying, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Someone's praying, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Oh Lord, dontchaknow.  
  
_ I was pretty sure at least a few of us in our group were praying for us to get the fuck out of here as soon as humanely possible.  
  
 _Someone's sleeping, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Someone's sleeping, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Someone's sleeping, Lord, dontchaknow_  
 _Oh Lord, dontchaknow  
  
_ I wished that I _was_ asleep. I wanted this campfire thing to just be a bad fever dream.  
  
 _Oh Lord, dontchaknow._

I saw several of us visibly sigh in relief. 

"Thank God that torture is over," Tristen gasped.

"Okay everyone!" Carol the She-Devil announced.  
"Let's sing it again from the top, dontchaknow!"

I saw my group tense up in absolute fear. This was the Bystander Effect experiment all over again. I had to save this mind-numbing bullshit. I looked over to Ivy and nodded. She snatched the guitar from Carol. 

"Fuck this," I announced.  
"We're not singing that again. We need to get some _real_ campfire music going."

Ivy started playing in B flat major. How she knew what I was gonna sing I didn't know, but like hell was I gonna complain. My group was starting to look a little better already.

"I call this one _The Campfire Song Song,_ " I announced.

And then I began.

_ "Let's gather 'round the campfire, and sing our campfire song.  
Our c-a-m-p-f-i-r-e s-o-n-g- song.  
And if you don't think that we can sing it faster then you're wrong,  
but it'll help if you just sing alooong." _

Obviously looking for an excuse to troll this bonfire, Candy Pop chimed in with a   
_  
"Bum, bum, buuum..."  
_

I looked to Envy and gave him a small nod to sneak the piece while they were distracted. And then....I picked up the speed big time, with Alice attempting to keep up to speed in the background.  
Attempting, being the key word.  
  
_ Me: "c-a-m-p-f-i-r-e- s-o-n-g song.  
c-a-m-p-f-i-r-e- -s-o-n-g- song,  
And if you don't think that we can sing it faster then you're wrong,  
But it'll help if you just sing alooong.  
  
"c-a-m-p-f-i-r-e- -s-o-n-g- song  
"Alice!"  
  
_ She seemed a little startled, but attempted to join in immediately. _  
Alice: "Song! -c-a-m-p-f-i-r-e-"  
_

Now who would be our Squidward? My eye fell on this guy mindlessly staring at nothing.

_ Me: "Uhhh.....this guy!" _

And just like Squidward, he said nothing, instead he was just staring. Yep, he was just....mindlessly staring....and drooling. Kinda like a zombie. It was actually....really disturbing....needless to say, I didn't want to linger on him any longer than I had to.

_ Me: "Gooood!" _

Now came the finale. I knew Candy Pop was gonna help with this, and he was exactly what I needed.  _  
  
Me: "It'll heeeelp, it'll heeeeeelp, if you just sing aloooooong!" _

Just as I suspected, our resident demon came along with a drum smash on top of Carol's head, while Ivy smashed the guitar. Now it was time for a heavy metal-style yell, and then we were outta here.  
  
Me: _"Oooh yeah!"_

And then....we took off like bullets.

"Did you get it?" I asked Envy.

He smirked and held up the piece.

"Hell yeah!" I whispered.

I was over the moon. Ivy was in love with me, we just trolled the shit out of Stepfordian campers, _and_ we got our next token piece! Nothing could ruin this---

"SHIT!"

I felt something prick the back of my neck, and it seemed to have happened to the rest of the group as well, as they were all falling to the ground. I tiredly pulled it out and examined it. It was a small dart.

"Son of a......bitch!" I snapped as I fell to the ground.

And then....dark silence.


	4. Gotta Fight Them All!

I felt my head throbbing as I came to.

"Mystic!" I heard Alice call in the distance.  
"Wake up!"

As I opened my eyes, everything was blurry and doubled.

"Wha.....where are we?"

"Yer in my lab dontchaknow!"

Oh no. Not her. Anyone else, Horace, Lennan; hell, even the Cursed God. But not her. She was talking into a mic just outside of the chamber we were in with her zombie campers smiling at us. A glass window separated us.

I tried to sit up, but I found myself restrained. And Hecuba was crying.

"No more," she wept.  
"Please no more 'dontchaknows.'"

"Okay, you crazy bitch!" Candy Pop snapped.  
"What the fuck do you want with us?"

"Oh, we wantcha ta join our little community, dontchaknow!"

"Um, what makes you think we'll want to?" Alice asked.

"Once the brain implants are implanted and activated, they'll make ya be more than happy ta join us, dontchaknow."

"So you wanna turn us into mindless smiling zombies?" I snapped.

"Oh ya make it sound so terrible, dontchaknow. I prefer the term happy campers, dontchaknow."

"Same shit," Lucy called out.

"I don't wanna be part of this camp," Delta exclaimed.  
"I've got a job in the real world. My boss is gonna kill me if I don't show up!"

"Really?" Briar asks.  
" _That_ is your biggest concern?"

"It's a valid one!"

"But not exactly important to this shit right now."

"Mind your language please."

"Mystic has been throwing around the F-word casually the past 13 installments," Anniken added.  
"I think that Briar saying the word 'shit' is pretty tame by comparison."

_I mean, she's not wrong._

"It won't take long anyhow, dontchaknow," Carol said.  
"Just a little pinch, then a shock, and then you're happy as a clam, dontchaknow. Well, have fun, dontchaknow."

She left us with two campers whose smiles stretched past the uncanny valley as they set up the machine. But I wasn't gonna let us waste a single second here.

"Looks like it's time to tango on out of here," I whispered.  
"Ivy, Envy, you awake?

"I never went to sleep," Envy sighed.  
"It takes more than that to make me sleep."

"I didn't eivver," Ivy added.  
"I been infected wif cocktails a sedatives, poisons, 'allucinogenics, an' mind control drugs, sometimes all at the same time. That dart ain't shit." 

"Okay, you're gonna have to tell me all of this later," Envy stammered.

"Are your vines free?" I asked.

"Not exactly, but I can still use them."

"Same 'ere," Ivy added.

"Okay, you two get yourselves out, then move onto the rest of us."

But a second later, Ivy's vines whipped in my direction. My straps came undone and I fell to the floor. I heard a similar thud across the room.

"Thanks, Envy," Alice exclaimed.

"Thanks, Ivy."

"No problem, love," Ivy flirted.

Ivy and Envy both then worked on theirs while Alice and I went around freeing the rest. I got Ro's off, then Saf's, then Matpat's, then Andrea Russett's.

"Damn, that fucking needle was so close," she gasped as I helped her off the floor.

As I took her hand, I noticed how mine was trembling, but in a good way. We made eye contact and I felt butterflies in my stomach, but I tried to push them to the side. 

"You get to work on Anniken's, I'll help Parris!"

"Got it!"

Eventually with our combined efforts, we were all free, and in the nick of time too. 

"Good golly goshings!" one of the campers exclaimed.  
"They got out--!"

I didn't waste anytime. I threw myself into the glass, but only to hit my head.

"There's a door right there," Ines chuckled, pointing to my left.

I blushed when I saw.

"Oh."

I rushed out, thanking God that that stupid bitch Carol hadn't locked the doors. I lunged myself at the one who had spoken up and tackled her to the ground. Her head hit against the wood. The other campers tried to pry me off of her, but I dug my nails into their arms and my elbows into their chests.

"Fuck you, creepy campers!" Cedar snapped as they grabbed the neck of another camper.

"Uhhh.....am scared," Bailey exclaimed.  
"Am a very, very scared bear."

Alice swept them into her arms and handed them off to Envy who put them in a corner while he fought off other campers.

"Take that, Stepford Smilers!" Ambrosi spat at another camper.

Hecuba took two campers and bashed their heads together.

"This is for all of those stupid dontchaknows!"

That was when I noticed: Taylor wasn't doing anything. She was just......standing in the corner, watching. 

"Taylor, get your ass in here!" I yelled.

She shrugged.

"Seems like you have a handle on things."

"Not really!" Silvia exclaimed as she tried to fight off swarms of camper zombies with Tristen and Erica.  
"We're gonna need every set of hands we can get."

"Ditto," Parris added as they, Hyacinthe, and Jaiden fought off another horde.  
"These campers have as bad a bite as a bark, if not worse."

"Just keep trying," Taylor said.

"We don't have time for trying," Montana hissed as she and Briar were trying to kick back a horde.  
"Everyone's gotta do something."

"Orpheus isn't doing anything," Taylor argued gesturing to the guy hiding under the control panel.  
"Why are you just going for me?"

"I'm hiding to save my ass, bitch," he whispered harshly.  
"I'm not much of a fighter."

"What if I'm not much of a fighter either?"

"Will you two shut up?" Wynter snapped as she and Dooper were ringing two of the campers' necks.  
"Arguing can come later. Right now we've got zombie campers on our asses."

"I wish we had Nanami-san," Alice gulped.

"I'm glad we don't," Hecuba scoffed.

I heard a thud beside me. Looking over, I saw that Rene had pinned another camper to the floor with her heeled boot, her head hitting against the wood.

"Not so tough now, are you?" she sniffed.

The campers suddenly shook her head, and I noticed something fall out of her ear. She blinked and opened her eyes.

"What the hell?" she murmured, a bit dazed.

At the same time, Montana had done the same to another camper except up against the wall. So did Sasha, Haven, Darby, Lacey, and Sequoia. All of them were just as confused as this one.

"Don't let her go," Hecuba warned.  
"It could be a trap."

"No shit," Rene said sarcastically.  
"Really?"

My camper had also hit the floor and was coming to. The rest of the Stepford campers rushed out. 

"Who the hell are you?" Sequoia asked her camper.

They looked stunned.

"Don't play dumb," she snapped.  
"I asked you a question; who the hell are you?"

"I'd like to ask you the same question," they groaned.  
"I'm Trigorin."

"I'm Sequoia. What do you remember?"

"I don't know," Trigorin shrugged.  
"I was brought to this camp, I felt a pinch and a zap. Next thing I know, I'm here."

"So they fell victim to Carol, huh?" Delta asked.

"Unless it's a trap," Montana growled at her camper.

"Hey, hey! Cool it," her camper began to sweat.  
"I'm Thanasis. I remember just as much as Trig does."

"Who the fuck names their kid Trigorin?" Hecuba scoffed.

"Clearly someone with a love of Chekhov," I defended.

"Yeah," Trig agreed.  
"My parents are big theatre fanatics."

"I am the seagull!" someone shrieked panicked.

A girl shot up from the floor.

"Who the fuck is this?" Candy Pop asked.

"Oh," the girl gulped clearly embarrassed.  
"I'm Nina. Where's Trigorin?"

"Nina! You okay?" Trig yelled.

"Did you not just hear her reference?" Thanasis sighed.  
"She's right there."

"Okay, as much as I love meeting everyone," Aoibhe snapped.  
"We've got a bitch named Carol to stop."

I heard a groan and saw that the one I was holding down was coming to.

"Is that Sybille?" Thanasis asked eagerly.

"Thanny?" the camper below me groaned tiredly.  
"What happened?"

"Sybille!"

"Who all are you?" I exclaimed, trying to wrap my mind around this situation.

"I'm Sybille," the girl below me said.  
"I don't know how long I've been here---is that Joey Graceffa?"

"Joey?" several of the newly-awakened campers gasped.

"Don't tell me," Dooper groaned.  
"More ETN writers?"

"Probably just to create filler for the chapters," Stella shrugged.

"Oh, a meta joke," Tristen exclaimed.  
"I don't think I've heard one of those in a while."

"Seriously, I need whatever drugs you're taking," Dooper exclaimed.

"I sympathize with Dooper," Lenox added.  
"A lot of us can barely get a word in edgewise."

"We can argue about that later!" Lisbet snapped.  
"We need to find Carol."

"Why?" Envy asked confused.

"Because she probably took the token piece from us."

"Token piece?" Nina asked.

"Long story," Ines sighed.  
"Let's get going!"

And with that, we rushed out the door.


	5. About Us.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ivy and Mystic get down to the nitty-gritty.

We stormed out of that lab.

"Let's take down that batty bitch!" Aoibhe exclaimed.

"Where would we find her, though?" Eva asked.

"I'm trying to think," Nina exclaimed.  
"Uhhhh, probably the counselor's cabin?"

"Where's that?" Teala asked.

"Uhhh, I don't remember...."

"Great," Rene sighed.  
"Now we're stuck."

"Just look," Sugarbelle suggested.

"Look where?" Envy asked.

"Just look through camp!"

We all looked at each other, our glances exchanging confusion like mail carriers throwing packages.

"It might be our best chance," I shrugged.  
"Most of us are either new here or were too hypnotized to remember where."

"Wait, I was a girl scout at one point!" Delta exclaimed.  
"And when we went to summer camp, I noticed that the counselor's cabin was always closest to the lake."

"That's genius!" I gasped.  
"Okay, so that narrows things down for us."

"What if it's different this time?" Ines wondered.

"It's worth a shot," Alice answered.  
"Envy, you wanna go with me?"

"Sure."

We all formed groups, when I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I turned to see Ivy looking at me.

"Can I talk te ye alone fer a bit?"

I nodded. This time she took me just off to the side. 

"Ye never really gave me an answer 'bout us, love."

Oh....I didn't.....I knew I shouldn't have left her hanging, but....I didn't want to give her false hope.

"Ivy, I'm like 95% certain that....I love you to death, but......I'm so scared it's going to dissolve too."

She frowned.

"I wish we knew if it was. Then we'd know if it'd be worf it."

"Well, like I said....it's better to have someone and lose them than not have them at all."

She nodded.

"Though....it's heartbreaking if it doesn't," I sighed.  
"Ivy, you're....you're one in a million."

"So are you, love," she said.  
"That's why I want this te work."

We sat down near a hedge and looked out at the lake ahead. As we did, I felt myself gravitating towards her. It was an unbelievable, but almost natural, magnetism towards her that I can't explain. Almost as if we were two halves of a whole. I needed Ivy to stay in my life. She was....everything I wished I could be: beautiful, talented, confident, brave, charismatic.

"I wish we were back under that tree."

Ivy nodded.

"Me too. Maybe when this is all over we can go back," she suggested.

I felt a brush against my hand. I looked down to see our hands had touched. But neither of us pulled away. I didn't want to. She didn't want to. We didn't mind. And so...I felt a slight squeeze on my hand, and I blushed. I scooted closer. 

"Your 'and's so warm, love," she sighed.

My stomach churned with butterflies.

"Y-you too," I gulped.

I heard a melodic giggle emerge from her.

"Hey!" Rene yelled.  
"Are you two lovebirds just gonna flirt with each other? We could really use a--"

All of a sudden, we heard a scream.

"Help!" Delta cried out.

And then we heard a door slam.

"It came from over there!" Sybille exclaimed.

We all ran and found a cabin. Stepford smilers peeked from the windows and my stomach went from churning with butterflies to churning with liquid fear.

"How are we gonna get in there?" Aoibhe asked.

I walked over and turned the knob. The door opened.

"...Probably like that," I shrugged.

We all stormed the cabin, but soon we were ambushed. I felt myself struggle against one of the Stepford soldiers. I think I even heard a bone snap from one of their fingers. However soon enough, somehow, we were hog-tied and subdued. And hovering over us was the Stepford counselor herself.


	6. Trade-Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol threatens to put us under her control, but some quick-thinking leads to another compromise.

"So glad you decided to come, dontchaknow!"

Briar whimpered.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Orpheus rolled his eyes.  
"Just get to the end of the villain speech already."

"But it's time for camp stories, dontchaknow."

"I swear to God, I will _end_ you if you say that one more time," Parris growled.

Several of the others agreed.

"Look, I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but it's not one we're interested in," Aoibhe snapped.  
"Where's our friend Delta?"

"Oh, she's fine, dontchaknow."

"No," Ines snapped.  
"I don't think she _is_ fine. If she _is_ fine, then where the fuck is she?"

Carol gestured behind her. Delta was also hog-tied, but being guarded at knife-point by creepy Stepford fuckers.

"Let her go!" Lacey snapped.

"Why would I wanna do that dontchaknow?"

"Because if you don't," Sequoia exclaimed.  
"We'll kick your butt!"

"How are you gonna do that when you're all tied up dontchaknow?"

"We'll find a way," Alice said.

"Enough of this, Carol!" Thanasis snapped back.  
"You've taken weeks from us, ones that we can never get back!"

"It was for your own good dontchaknow."

"If it was for our own good, why did you have to put us under mind control?" a girl named Audley asked.  
"You could've just asked us if we wanted to be at a summer camp."

"No one ever wants to go to my summer camp dontchaknow!"

"I can't imagine why," Orpheus snarked.

"Wait, what the hell are you gonna do to us now?" Thanasis wondered aloud.

"Put you under my control dontchaknow. Guards, you know what to do dontchaknow."

They began advancing on us. The liquid fear in my stomach grew and flooded upwards, leaving a bitter and acidic taste in the back of my throat. Was this the end for us? Was I just gonna be some smiling, robotic camper for the rest of my life?

"Wait!" 

It was Nina.

"If this is just like _Escape the Night,_ why don't we do a challenge? The losers can become your Stepford smilers for as long as you want them or something."

Carol gave this a few moments' thought, but it felt like time was struggling through a pit of tar.

"Weeeeeeelllll......I suppose......okay! We'll set up a summer camp gauntlet. Send in sixteen of you. Guards, untie them all dontchaknow."

I felt relieved as my bonds came undone. My legs were aching.

"You can go back to the dining hall to decide dontchaknow."

We all immediately zoomed on out of there and over to the dining hall.

* * *

By the time we returned to the dining hall, my legs were screaming in pain.

"I can't believe we're doing this again," Joey said somberly.

"Another gauntlet," Destorm affirmed.  
"We're voting in 16 of us."

"Okay before we do," I exclaimed.  
"I think we should figure out who we should keep out of the voting pile. I, for one, do not want to go in. I have scoliosis and my legs are killing me.

"Same," Aoibhe agreed.

"I think we should also take out those who were under her control prior to this," Delta suggested.  
"It wouldn't be fair to them if we just sent them back in."

"I agree," Alice nodded.

"Same," Envy said.

"I think it'd also be fair to keep out those of us who were in the previous challenge," I said.

"I second that," Lauren piped up.

"So that means Mystic, Alice, Envy, Lauren, Oli, Matpat, and Ro aren't eligible for a vote," Joey said.

"Okay, who was freed from her control?" Eva asked.  
"Because if we're gonna want to avoid voting for them, I'd like to know who they are."

"I think it's.....Sybille, Thanasis, Trigorien, Nina, and Audley," I counted.  
"Did I miss anyone?"

A small, quiet girl raised her hand.

"I'm Yana."

"She was the one I was holding down," Rene vouched.

"Okay, so that was six out of how many campers?" I asked.

"There were ten of us when we arrived," Yana told us.  
"But I think there might've been more. We were just one of the first groups."

"Did you ever see anyone else come in?" Sasha asked.

Yana shook her head.

"I'd probably blacked out by that time."

"So that's thirteen out," Lyra exclaimed.  
"That means the voting pool is still open. I think we should limit it down even more."

"Are you sure?" Teala gulped.

"We should make sure we're keeping the best people in the group."

"I really think we should just vote," I sighed.  
"It'll be better now than never."

Calliope pulled out a ton of tarot cards.

"I think we all know how this works," she said grimly.

One by one, we all went up and voted. I just closed my eyes and picked at random. I didn't want blood on my hands, nor did I want to know if I did.

As I sat back down, my stomach was a whirlpool of fear. Even though I was taken out of the pile, Ivy wasn't. I was so scared she would get picked. If there was a traitor in the group-someone working with the Cursed God-they'd probably try to off Ivy as soon as possible. Or would they? My brain was going through various plausible scenarios, until I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Ivy. 

"Don't worry, love," she told me.  
"If I get reaped, I'm goin' te give it my damndest te get back te ye."

I knocked on the wooden bench I was sitting down, praying she wouldn't get reaped.

"Alright," Calliope sighed.  
"I will now shuffle and draw out sixteen to compete."

The cards seemed to mock us as we waited for the first name to be drawn.

"Jaiden."

The one in question blinked and shrugged.

"Well, I had a good run."

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Hecuba."

"Are you serious?" she groaned.

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Lisbet."

I heard a whimper from the back.

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Delta."

"No, no, no, no, no!" she panicked.  
"That's not possible."

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Parris."

"Are you serious?"

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Sasha."

"I knew it was coming at some point, I just didn't think it would be now."

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Orpheus."

"Fuck."

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Rene."

"Wonderful," she sighed sarcastically.

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Ines."

"Figures," she huffed.

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Bretman."

"Bitch," he smirked.  
"I am ready."

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Joey."

"You can't be serious," he groaned.

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Tyler."

"Oop!"

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Andrea Russett."

"Well, that's fan-fucking-tastic."

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Liza."

"Can Jet take my place?"

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Genevieve Atkinson."

"Excellent."

"And finally..."

_Shuffle, draw, flip._

"Ivy Flora."

My eyes went wide and I stood up.

"Okay, who the fuck voted for Ivy?" I snapped.

"Mystic, chill out," Wynter sighed.  
"She was bound to get reaped."

"You sixteen follow me," Calliope said.

Ivy stood up but I stopped her.

"Please come back safely, love. And make sure Genevieve and Andrea get back too."

She gave me a nod and gave me what could've possibly been one final kiss, and the sixteen headed out the door.


	7. Gauntlet Insanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrea Russett gets some help with the gauntlet while Tyler and Liza cry through s'mores.  
> (CW: Leeches)

**(Andrea R's POV)**

So I'd just gotten drawn to compete in the gauntlet thing. And if I lost, I'd be doomed to Camp Stepford forever.

Fun.

"'Ey."

I turned around and it was Ivy.

"Mystic wants me te make sure you an' Genevieve also make it."

Oh, thank the Lord for Mystic.

"Thanks."

"This can't be happening," Delta gulped.  
"This cannot be happening."

"Well, it is," Orpheus snapped.  
"So stop deluding yourself."

"I just wanna get this over with," Sasha moaned.  
"I wanna go home."

"Well, some of us _aren't_ going home," Ines sighed.  
"If I get zombified, I'll just disassociate myself to Camp Half-Blood."

"Good luck with that," Orpheus scoffed.

"Oh look," Rene sighed unethused.  
"There's Miss Stepford and her children."

They were all waiting with big, creepy as fuck grins on their faces.

"Welcome possibly future campers dontchaknow!"

"Just get on with it," Ines sighed.

One of the guards stepped forward.

"Okay, get on a number and remember that number. That's the number your stations will be designated with. On her go, you'll rush over to the tent and set it up. Then you'll go up ahead, set up a firepit, and light a fire only with the materials given to you. Then you will go over to that plate of s'mores and eat the entire plate using _only_ your mouth. Any use of your hands in that part will force you out of the challenge for 30 seconds. Then you will have to tie a sturdy knot to connect two ropes. Finally you will go to one of the canoes down yonder and row back over to the dock on your right. The first 8 to do so will be safe. The bottom 8 will run the course again. Then the bottom 4. The top scorers of the bottom 4 will become campers, and the bottom 2 scorers will be killed."

"Oop!" Tyler gasped.

"Get on a number!" the guard snapped.

We all just rushed to a number. I looked down and saw that I was number 12. Just my lucky day, Ivy was on 11 and Penelope on 13. 

"On your marks, get set..."

A whistle blew and we looked confused.

"That means go dontchaknow!" Carol snapped.

And then it was a literal stampede. I dashed over to the tent and hurried the fuck up to assemble it.

"No instructions...great," I grumbled.

I looked over at Ivy and tried to copy what she was doing. Either she was oblivious to me looking or she didn't give a shit or she really did wanna help.

Watching Ivy helped shred some seconds off my time, thank God. I got slightly ahead because I just kinda bashed my pegs into the ground with the hammer. Next fire time!

Well, of course, I tried sticks. But then I heard a cough on my left. Ivy had picked up some bark, weird-ass wool or something and a rectangle battery. And boom! She got a fire started. 

Well, I kinda just did what she did. And now....probably the weirdest thing I've ever done. Okay, maybe not _the_ weirdest thing, but it's up there. Eating s'mores using only my fucking mouth.

So I just kinda.....went for it.

"Oh God...." Tyler groaned.  
"Of course I had to be in a gauntlet where there are sweets."

I heard tortured mumbling and sobbing from Liza. 

"28 s'mores? Are you fucking kidding me?" Orpheus growled.  
"How the fuck is anyone supposed to eat 28 s'mores at one time?"

I looked over to my right and saw that even Penelope was abandoning her elegance and grace. She was going in on those s'mores. But I noticed she was doing something with her mouth: it seemed like she was gathering up saliva. So I do the same and it makes this shit so much easier.

"Ivy," I whispered.  
"Gather saliva."

She gave a small nod and we both went back to it. By this time, Genevieve had gotten ahead. Bretman was also ahead. I had, like, 5 left, so I basically inhaled that bitch. So Ivy and I finished at the same time. Knot-tying was next. I knew I was fucked if I just tried to work it out myself, so I literally just tried to copy Ivy. I thankfully, somehow, got a sturdy knot.

I fell just behind Penelope and Ivy, and Ivy was like a fucking ninja. I rushed over to the closest empty canoe and that was when I saw it. There were no paddles.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I grumbled.

I just sat up on the top of the canoe and kicked my leg to use them as paddles. It rocked back and forth and I was freaking the fuck out. But that fear was overshadowed by the fear of either becoming a Stepford camper or dying. So I just kicked in a rhythm and faced forward. And then, I heard a scream. From Genevieve.

There were a bunch of somethings on her leg. Something dark and slug-like. 

"Oh fuck no!" I yelled.

What kind of camp doesn't provide paddles for us to row across a lake full of leeches. 

"Oh, those are medicinal leeches dontchaknow."

That was when I felt something on my leg. It hadn't bitten yet, so I just started to flail and it went flying off,......buuuuuut it went into my canoe, literally right below me. 

Fuck.

Thank God I saw the dock and I flailed even faster. Genevieve and Ivy had already finished and I just basically scoot and flail. Before I knew it.....I was finished.

I collapsed in relief and I was so close to crying. Some of the guards were helping Penelope get the leeches off of her leg and bandage it up. 

"Oh thank God!" I heard Liza cry out as she basically bellyflopped onto the dock. 

Joey was next, followed by Bretman and Tyler. Seven of us were safe. There was just one more spot. We were all shitting ourselves trying to figure out who'd be the last one safe.

"Fuck yeah!" I heard someone roar out.

Orpheus had just made it with Hecuba trailing on him. He practically bounded onto the dock.

"Fuck yeah!"

He didn't even wait by the dock. He just rushed to the dining hall. We all looked over to Carol.

"Eh. You can go back dontchaknow."

As we walked back, I heard Hecuba cry out. I didn't want anyone to die or become a Stepford camper, but what other choice did we have?


	8. Four More Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm back on my bullshit.

**(Mystic's POV)**

I paced around the dining hall. Some of my favorite YouTubers were out there, and so was Ivy. If I lost her....oh God.....

"Mystic, I'm sure they'll be fine," Alice reassured.

"But what if they're not? What if they die?"

"They're not gonna die."

"How do you know? These challenges have pulled twists on us before. What if it's the top eight who die or get....Stepfordified? What if it's a random draw on who dies? What if they _all_ die?!"

"Darling, you'll have me."

I felt Cecelia's hand on my shoulder and I pulled away.

"Don't you dare. You're being selfish."

"I'm just trying to alleviate your worry."

"Well, it's not working. All it's doing is making me wish I'd left you behind. If they die out there....if they die....."

Even the mere thought of Ivy, Andrea, and Genevieve dying brought tears to my eyes. My knees caved, hitting the floor or the dining hall.

"Ivy, Andrea, Genevieve.....I don't wanna go on without them!"

"Ye won't 'afta," a voice assured me.

I looked up in shock and to my relief, all three of them had returned. I ran right to Ivy and enveloped her in a hug.

"Oh thank God! I was so scared!" I cried.

She picked me up and hugged me.

"That's sweet a ye, love, but ye didn't need te be."

"But I do!" I admitted, tears piling in my eyes.  
"Ivy, I.....I'm so scared to lose you. You make me feel so......safe and happy. Ever since we first met, you've made me feel butterflies in my stomach and you're just....so much of what I aspire to be. Brave, outgoing, confident, charismatic, beautiful, kind, not afraid to stand out, unafraid to tell people off when they deserve it. Those kinds of people....at least those who love me romantically....they don't come around often in my life. I can't imagine it without you now. Ivy, I...I love you so damn much, and I want the world to know just how amazing you truly are."

I pulled her into a kiss, and it was like magic. I felt a spark and a chill flow through me, my goosebumps standing on end, and it was as if we were high in the clouds. Floating.....far away from all of the despair. For a moment, it was as though we were the only two in our worlds. I never wanted to leave this high of love. At that moment, I resolved that I would do whatever it took to help this work. I _had_ to. I _needed_ Ivy to be with me until the day I die. No, far beyond that. I needed to be with her through _eternity_. I told her that people like her who love me romantically don't come around often. But the truth is much greater than that. People like her seem to be overshadowed by all of the nihilists, the cynicists, those who crush others to reach the top, those who grind the underdogs under their feet. So when someone like Ivy breaks through them and shines light in your life, if you lose their trust, you've lost a gem.

After sometime I reluctantly pulled away and she stared at me speechless. Fear tied a knot in my heart, I was terrified I had made her feel off-put, but then I saw a small smile and a few tears fall down her face. And then she pulled me in for a second kiss.

Lyra was practically having an aneurysm by the time we pulled away again.

"Does that answer about us?" I giggled.

"100%," she smiled before bringing me into a hug. 

"I told you they'd be fine," Alice smiled.

"Okay," Sybille sighed.  
"But there are still 8 others who _aren't_ safe."

"But four of them will be."

"But four of them won't be."

"Looks like we've found the pessimist," Taylor said.

"I'm being realistic," Sybille argued.

"You both are," Trigorien groaned.  
"Now can we please stop this? I'm trying not to think about this Carol bitch and her stupidity."

"That's what we've had to deal with for God-knows-how-long."

"Yeah, no shit. I was there too."

"Okay, so then what's the plan?" Tyler asked.  
"Because I don't wanna be in this nutty camp any longer than I have to be."

"We get the fuck out, that's the plan," Nikita exclaimed.

"But where would we go?"

"I dunno. We've always winged it, why should that change?"

"How long do we have until things go to hell?"

I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Should we tell them now?" Gabbie asked.

"I don't know, I don't wanna cause unnecessary panic."

"You might either way."

"Mystic, what are you talking about?" Alice gulped.

"I'll tell you when the others return."

"Uh, I would actually _really_ like to know how long we have until things go to shit," Aoibhe said.  
"I wanna know if I have enough time to scream into an abyss."

"Things have already gone that way," Envy sighed.  
"If someone had just let me use the tracker, we'd be done by now."

"Well, if someone hadn't tried to steal my teastones--"

"I was doing it to help--"

"You still stole them from me!"

"Please, stop!" Alice exclaimed.  
"No one's at fault here."

"Uhhhh," Candy Pop hesitated.  
"I mean, if she'd let us use the teastones, I might be back in my real body."

"You're being selfish," I hissed.

"You're being ungrateful! You got pissed at Envy for trying to help!"

"He _stole_ the teastones."

"For good intentions."

"That's rich coming from a demon."

"Oop!" Tyler exclaimed.

"Just put me back in my body, or else!"

"Huh," I huffed.  
"Or else what? You gonna turn me into one of your hybrid servants?"

"You know? I just might. It'd ensure that you wouldn't just go running off again. Or maybe I'll take a page outta CG's book and marry you, or maybe take a page outta Cal's and turn you into a doll!"

Envy tensed up upon hearing that, as Ivy held me protectively.

"If ye even so much as lay a finger on love," she growled.  
"I'll make sure ye 'ave no fingers te lay on anyone."

"You could just say some Bible verses," I smirked.

Candy Pop, upon hearing that, tensed up and seemed to back down.

"Damn that book," he grumbled.

"That's blasphemy!" I snipped.

"Like you said, kid, I'm a demon."

"No one is marrying anyone or turning anyone into anything!" Alice snapped.  
"This kind of thing is exactly what the Cursed God wants. If we're gonna get all of the tokens, we have to work together and _not_ threaten each other."

"I'd like to remind you that we likely still have a traitor amongst us."

"I really wish we had Nanami then. She'd be able to tell us."

"What's the fun in that?" I asked.  
"Where's the merit?"

"What about safety?" Envy said.

"Don't you two even fucking start," Nikita snapped.

All of a sudden, we heard pairs of footsteps running back.

"Oh thank the Lord!" 

Delta practically tripped on her own feet as she made it back in.

"What the hell happened?" Lenox asked.  
"Where are the others?"

"I'm back!"

Sasha leapt over Delta.

"That's two," Wynter exclaimed.  
"What about--?"

"Here I am!"

Ines helped Delta up.

"Wait, so.....you three made it.....only one more?" Joey asked.

"It sucks, but it's better than all of us dying," Sasha shook her head.  
"Get those spare jars ready, Genevieve."

Our hearts were on edge in anticipation. Finally, the last set appeared.

"I made it! I made it!"

Parris bolted inside.

"Dude, what the hell happened?" Sybille asked.  
"You look like you've seen a fucking ghost!"

"Wait," Lenox exclaimed.  
"Then that means....Jaiden....Hecuba.....Lisbeth....and Rene...."

Sasha nodded sadly.

"Jaiden and Rene got turned into the campers. Then they had to......shoot Hecuba and Lucy into the water with bows and arrows. And because there was a s'more-eating section.....and that's a lake full of leeches....."

"I'm telling you," I huffed.  
"Me dying would solve all of this."

"Fucking how?!" Nikita exclaimed.  
"You may have gotten us into this mess, you may not have, but you're the only one who can stop it!"

"At any rate," Envy exclaimed, pulling out Carol's token piece.  
"We have half of the 4th token. We're.....we're over halfway to ending this."

"Okay, yeah, that's great and all," Aoibhe interrupted bluntly.  
"But how long do we have until things go to shit?!?"

"Who's gonna tell them?" I asked looking over to Ro and Gabbie.

"You do it," Gabbie shrugged.  
"You said you would."

I took a deep breath.

"Okay, so.....a little ways back, I was able to eavesdrop on the Cursed God.....and the Blood Moon is coming soon..."


	9. A Little Aviating Animal Told Me That More Shit's Gonna Go Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy.

Silence loomed over the group. The suspense was killing me. I was waiting to see if it'd sunk into them, and bracing myself for the freak-out, the "why didn't you tell us sooner?", the "what the fuck are we supposed to do now?", the "oh my God, we gotta get outta here!"

"Wait, what's the blood moon?" Aoibhe asked loudly.

And there it went.

"It's when magic's at its most powerful," Gabbie sighed.

Still no freak-out.

"Which means the Cursed God could use his magic to work around that loophole of 'he can't use magic to make Mystic fall in love with him.'"

Somehow it didn't settle with most of them. Except for Alice, as she tensed up.

"Which means he could get Mystic to marry him and lower the barrier," Ro finished.

Immediately the group went into gasps and exclamations.

_And there's the freak-out._

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?!?" Tristen gasped.

"What the fuck do we do now?" Lenox asked.

"Oh my God, we gotta get outta here!" Hecuba exclaimed.

We all rushed out of the dining hall. It was at that moment I was feeling overwhelmed. I needed somewhere peaceful and quiet. That was when I felt someone tap my shoulder.

"Ye wanna go back there?"

I nodded, and off we went.

* * *

As we were on our way, we heard another set of footsteps behind us. I whirled around and saw someone familiar.

"Hey!" Andrea Russett panted.  
"Can I join you guys? I'm getting worn out too, and if you know somewhere quiet, I need to be there."

Ivy and I looked at each and shrugged.

"Sure," I nodded.

"Hell yeah."

We led her along and showed her the clearing. Like us, she was stunned.

"Holy fuck."

"Isn't it gorgeous?"

Her head bobbed up and down. We led her to the tree.

"Oh fuck yeah!" she nodded.  
"I'm living for this."

"Same."

We all sat down underneath it. I laid on Ivy's lap, thinking. I hadn't felt this serene in a while. We'd made some good progress involving the tokens. I now had myself a girlfriend, which to be honest, I was still both stoked and shocked about. Who'd wanna date me? Apparently she did. I didn't understand it myself. I felt like she was far out of my league. She was too amazing for me. I knew I should've had more faith in myself, but still. This was Ivy. 

I started humming to myself a little, thinking of just random thoughts, letting them just....pass by. Most of them were about the past few.....months or so? I guess I lost track of time. What happened to Gautier? Where was that Scottish Hotel Lady? What made Lilith switch over to our side seemingly out of nowhere? Would I ever see Circe again? What about Horace? Did he even have a last name? Did the Scottish Hotel Lady have a name? Would we ever see that Victorian Christmas place? What about Lennan? What about Asaph? Were we ever gonna see Chiaki again? Who's the traitor? Who's the final token? Is there really an 8th? Is the 8th really a person? 

"Man, this has been a wild ride so far," Andrea sighed.

I sat up in interest.

"What has?"

She shrugged casually.

"Just this whole thing. I've never been more drained and intrigued at the same time."

"Yeah," I nodded.  
"I've never done something even remotely like this. You've had some experience with being in _Escape the Night_ before."

"Well duh, but this is on a different fucking level."

"Yeah," I chuckled, and our eyes met.

I wasn't sure what it was or why I hadn't until now, but I started to notice Andrea more closely. She was a very chill person, and very honest. She was also....gorgeous.....but I had a girlfriend now. 

"You're a little red in your cheeks," Andrea told me.

My eyes widened in shock. Was....was I in love with both of them?

"Isn't she cute?" Ivy asked.

I eeped when I heard her.

"You scared me!"

"Sorry," she giggled.  
"Couldn't 'elp but over'ear."

All of a sudden, I saw something shining atop me.

"Ivy, look!"

Atop the tree was a shining golden bird. I tried to get a closer look at it.

"Mystic, look out!" Andrea exclaimed.

She told me just in time. I looked down to see that the tree had opened up (.....I mean, I guess we'd seen weirder things.) and Andrea grabbed ahold of me. I tried to hold out my arms to balance myself, but the tree opened up even more and the two of us fell forward, down into the deep dark hole.

Ivy reached for us and pulled up, but something seemed to pull us forward and soon she fell as well.

"Mystic?!?!"

I could hear Alice's voice faintly from atop, but we fell ways away into the darkness......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 13 going on 14, I think.


End file.
